First they gushed over Canada's affection for the royals, now the British press is lauding Prince William and Kate for their poise in the face of anti-monarchy protests in Quebec.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge kept calm and carried on as they were met by small but loud groups of Quebec sovereigntists expressing their disdain for the Crown over the weekend.

The very presence of the demonstrators was a sharp contrast to the love-in at the royals' previous stop in Ottawa, where British press even coined the term "Kate-mania" to describe the adoration expressed for the young bride.

Though the anti-royal jeers in Quebec were far outnumbered by cheers for William and Kate, they didn't go unnoticed.

"Royals heckled by protesters," declared Britain's The Guardian newspaper, calling the couple's swing through Quebec the "tricky phase" of their nine-day Canadian tour.

The paper went on to imply the royal pair showed considerable courage by choosing to spend two days in Canada's only predominantly French-speaking province and called William "a rare British royal venturing into the heart of francophone, would-be separatist Quebec."

Demonstrators in Montreal had voiced their disdain for the monarchy by holding up placards denouncing the royals as "parasites" as they arrived at a children's hospital on Saturday.

"The couple ignored the demonstration," The Guardian stated bluntly before going into detail on the prickly welcome most monarchs have historically faced in Quebec.

The Daily Mail also made note of the "heavy police presence" at Quebec sites frequented by the royals.

"Police were out in force in downtown Quebec City," said the paper. "More than 150 protesters, some wearing black and waving flags, demonstrated."

The Daily Star focused more on the couple's regal poise —"Prince William and Kate smile through protest" said their headline.

The tabloid noted the royal couple "breezed through" their first protest as demonstrators attempted to "hijack" their Canadian tour.

"They shrugged off yet more protests by wearing matching his ’n hers aprons to whip up some traditional Quebec grub," the paper went on to say, describing the couple's visit to a famous Montreal tourism and hotel institute.

The BBC's report on the unsavoury action in Quebec was more understated.

"A small anti-monarchy protest took place," said a report on the broadcaster's website. "But it was dwarfed by the hundreds of well-wishers."

The television network also made reference to Prince William's all-French speech to Quebecers on Sunday in which he lauded their "vitality and vigour" and also got a cheer when he joked about his pronunciation.

Sky News also highlighted William's foray into francais, headlining their item "Wills Delivers French-Only Speech In Quebec." Broadcaster ITV News did much of the same.

"The usual welcoming crowds were joined by anti-monarchy protesters," said a report on the ITV website. "But Prince William won over some by making a speech entirely in French."

The TV station also went on to say the royal couple were "heckled" at two appearances in Quebec.

Meanwhile, the comparisons to William's mother continue as the royals travel the country. "Diana:the sequel" said a headline in the Times of London, "Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton comforts cancer victim 'like Princess Diana'" said a report in the Daily Mirror.

Nearly 100 members of the British media are in Canada to cover the royal couple's first official international visit.

They are part of the almost 1,400 journalists accredited to cover the royal visit.